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© The Association of Independent Schools of NSW

Blade Runner:Thin clients and Blades at CCGS

Michael Lowbridge, ICT Manager


Agenda

Background: The School and its Desktop Challenges

Solution Options

Server Based Computing (SBC)

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Client Consolidated Infrastructure (CCI) – Blade PC

Our Destination


Background: The School and its Desktop Challenges


School History

Established 1985

1200 students K – 12

150 staff

Offers both NSW Higher School Certificate and International Baccalaureate

Extensive ICT infrastructure

Focus on integration of technology into classroom pedagogy


Network Infrastructure

Windows 2003 Active Directory infrastructure

20 servers, including physical and virtual devices (Vmware ESX)

EVA 4000 SAN and blade servers

Site wide wireless network

950 client computers, including notebooks, desktops and blade PCs


Technical Support Staff

Head of ICT (educational and technical background)

Excellent technical support team – including System Administrator and 3 technical support staff

Database Administrator

ICT Integrator teaching staff to support use of technology across school


Cost of desktop maintenance,

support

Regulatory compliance, physical and data security

User flexibility, business continuity

Drivers for change


Existing computers were 3 yrs old and the lease was due to expire, looking for replacement (Jul 07)

Focus on ‘green computing’ and reducing energy consumption

Concern with ever increasing maintenance costs

Security and potential for damage of classroom based desktops

User uptime and business continuity in event of hardware failure

Drivers for change


Business Requirements


Increase Quality and Reduce Costs

Simple deployment

Manufacturer support for life of product

Reduced TCO, increased efficiency

Support Existing Infrastructure

Integration into Active Directory

Integration into existing Altiris infrastructure

Standardisation

Business Requirements


Desktop Support: How is time spent?

Reactionarytasks

SW, patches,and Q&A

Network opssupport

Strategicproject work


A better way to do Desktop Delivery


Remote Client Options?

Remote Client Solutions provide technology that form an alternative access method for applications and computing desktops.

We considered solutions based around three core technology groups.


Virtual Client Spectrum

“Simple”

Applications are easily moved and

deployed

Server-BasedComputing

HW

OS

Applications

Containers

“Flexible”

Encapsulated images, one or

more per device

Virtual Machines

HW

OS

Apps

Virtual Machine

OS

Apps

Virtual Machine

“Powerful”

Physical PC / Workstation with standard desktop

image

Blade Computing

HW

OS

Applications


By 2010, thin clients will make up more than 10 percent of all U.S. desktop computer devices sold, according to IDC research.


Server Desktop Citrix and Microsoft


Server Based ComputingAccess Network Compute

Flexible

Cost Effective

Secure

ICA/RDP

Low Bandwidt

h

Multi-User Operating System

Application Compatibility

Desktops & Applications


Virtual Desktop (VDI)Citrix/VMware/Microsoft


Virtual Desktop InfrastructureAccess Network Compute

Flexible

Cost Effective

Secure

RDP / RGS Individual Environment

Flexible

Adaptable

Connection Broker


HP CCI

Blade PC/Workstation


Blade PC Computing

Access Network Compute

Flexible

Cost Effective

Secure

RDP/RGS

Video/Graphics Support

Low Bandwidth

Individual Environment

Predictable

Consistent User Experience

Connection Broker


Brief Question Time?Next: CCGS Implementation


Technical Support Staff


Our Destination!


Where We ended up

Initial Purchase (July 07)

110 HPt5720 XPE Thin Client

90 HP b2000 Blades

Second Purchase (Jan 08)

35 HPt5720 XPE Thin Client

20 HP b2000 Blades


Why we decided on thin clients/ PC Blades

Power and flexibility of a desktop while user is logged on

Power savings – 35W thin client, 20W blade

Multimedia and graphics support

Flexibility of solution to grow

Seamless USB support

Any hardware issues result in 1 minute fix

Cost reduction – moving to 5 year lease


Every Junior School classroom has 4 thin clients installed


The library uses 35 thin clients for students and staff, including library assistants


Deployment

Stage 1

Analysis and investigation

Thin client testing in multiple areas

Stage 2

Purchase and delivery

Stage 3

Install thin clients and screens

Install blade chassis


Deployment

• Stage 4

Build thin client image

Build blade image

• Stage 5

• Use


The Components – Our choices


Thin Client Options

• 400MHz VIA• VIA S3 Graphics

• 64MB Flash/128 MB RAM

• Serial, Parallel, VGA, 6 USB 2.0, 2 PS/2

• Flexible mounting options with HP Quick

Release

HP ThinConnect

t5135

Value for MoneyThe simple

solution at our best price

Flexible

• AMD Sempron +2100 (8W-1GHz)• ATi RS690M Graphics/NB & SB600

• Vista Premium capable graphics• 1 GB Flash standard

• Expandable DDR-2 Memory• Serial, VGA, DVI-D, 6 USB 2.0, 2 PS/2

• Optional PCI or PCI Express x1 with Parallel port

• Flexible mounting options with HP Quick Release

• Integrated WLAN Support on XPe (same as business notebooks)

• Dual monitor support (VGA and DVI-D)

• Enhanced widescreen modes

Powerful, flexible, easy – innovative!

Debian Linux

t5735Windows XPe

t5730

Windows CE 5.0

t5530

Mainstream

• 800MHz VIA• VIA S3 Graphics

• 64MB Flash/128MB RAM

• Serial, Parallel, VGA, 6 USB 2.0, 2 PS/2

• More peripherals• Flexible mounting options with HP Quick

Release

Enhanced features for mainstream business use


HP Remote Client Solutions software suite

» Session Allocation Manager (SAM)

» Remote Graphics Software for PCs (RGS-PC)

» Rapid Deployment Pack (RDP)

» Systems Insight Manager (SIM)


Broker – Session Allocation Manager (SAM)


Blade PCs

Close up view of blade

E class Enclosure

Individual blades

We selected the HP BladeSystem bc2000 Blade PC(Athlon 64, 2GB Ram, 80GB HDD


Challenges

Printers

could no longer use Active Directory to map printers based upon computer location

Wrote script to identify name of thin client, wrote to registry and used 2nd script to map printer based upon registry value

Multiple PC Blade Images

Use Altiris SVS to activate certain applications on logon


Challenges

RGS protocol

Symptom of red screen repeatedly appeared on thin clients indicating network bandwidth issue

Analysis revealed it was not switch traffic but CPU load and RGS sender process

Ran Altiris job to change priority of RGS Sender service to high, eliminated majority of problem

New version of RGS has resolved this permanently


Any Questions?


Michael Lowbridge

ICT Manager

Central Coast Grammar School

Arundel Rd, Erina HeightsPhone (02) 4366 6766 Fax (02) 4367 0577

Web http://www.ccgs.nsw.edu.au Email [email protected]

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